HTML5, CSS3, Android, and Apple's executioners

Google's 2010 keynote was revolutionary. I just have to cover the entire front page of my blog with this. One of the major messages was a continued push for HTML5, which I fully support. Web applications are replacing the traditional functions of most desktop applications - instead of downloading a video straightaway, most of us will go to YouTube first. I'm sure many of you have felt frustration over requiring a download client (e.g. to access Adobe products, music downloads etc.) Those who had used ICQ/mIRC, or even MSN/AOL/Yahoo messenger now, find themselves using Facebook as often. The advantage that desktop applications have over Web applications is the access to your system resources - graphics processing, storage etc. - and HTML5 is designed to bridge this.

But the vision of HTML5 cannot be realized on its own. Google has done a good job of leading the industry with a completely free, open source, relatively high quality/compression video codec. The address also discusses the uses of new application programming interfaces to give websites the sleek look of a desktop application (e.g. 'retaining the memory of what you've been doing'). 

What this means is that most that had to be done with Flash will soon be replaced with clever use of APIs, HTML5, CSS3 or simply embedded video using the VP8 codec - which puts a much lighter load on bandwidth (try play around with Hermès or any other boutique brand's site) while giving the look of smooth transitions and all that.

Given that people pay hundreds (which is considered underpriced - since the event sold out very early) to attend the keynote, I certainly recommend you to watch the free video stream on YouTube:

How you can take part:

- YouTube has implemented HTML5. One-click enabling/disabling of beta-testing for HTML5 can be done here.

- Test your browser compatibility with HTML5 here.

Now, about Apple... We know that the Android has lately outsold Apple's OS for smartphone sales; and given that Android is still in its early stages of implementation (Motorola, for example, has yet to implement 2.x) we well know that this gap is going to build further. (Seeing how major industry players like HTC, Sony Ericsson etc. are getting on the boat, I felt the similarities to how Blu-ray killed HD-DVD quite uncanny...)

I bought an Android device on the exact same day I watched this.

At 3:00, Gundotra alludes to Apple's monopolistic practices, which to me, also gives me valid reason to believe in Apple's impending downfall. Now, to clarify two things: I don't mean downfall as in a total wind-up. But I mean downfall in the sense of how Google established itself as the leader in search, advertising and cloud services to kill out Yahoo; and Microsoft, in the sense that Microsoft is now trying to safeguard its products which are now facing Google's competition, and poise bing to compete with Google's search engine. I also imply downfall in the sense of how Google is late to tap into social networking - in the sense of how Facebook is slowly but surely destroying Friendster, myspace etc.

I clarify the second thing: what I mean by "monopolistic practices". Apple's use of iTunes, proprietary software etc. is essentially a tying practice, like how Microsoft used to bundle Internet Explorer with Windows. But Apple doesn't have the firepower of Microsoft. It is trying to do too much with a product that doesn't have the actual edge over its competitors. (Accuse me of making up nonsense, but the way Windows came out as a $99 CONSUMER operating system in an age where computers came as mainframes and continued sustaining its dominant market share is very different from how Macintosh and the iPod can play the game - Cowon, Samsung, Creative etc. have products which are known to produce better sound quality than the iPod; and there are many ways you can set up a PC to perform on many levels better than a Mac). So it's not just with the iPhone. A single phone cannot carry every feature successfully - that's why mobile producers diversify their products to target niches: for the basic user, business, entertainment, connectivity etc. That's partly why Nokia is still the market leader in mobile phone sales worldwide.

I'd say that the rumors that AT&T will lose its exclusivity rights sound credible - and might be a response to the growth of Android carriers.

Now, about my private life: I just moved to a new location, unpacked most of the boxes, and now that I'm getting back into a routine, I'm starting to write again.

Edit: Oh, and I find Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success plenty interesting.